I am familiar with casual racism of the 70s and early 80s. The unfunny quips about how all black people look the same, backhanded compliments about how one is "articulate" or being branded a trouble maker for speaking out of turn.

Times have definitely changed for the better but I do fear that recently, both home and abroad, public discourse has changed.

I might be wrong, but five to 10 years ago I don't believe the actor would have said what he said. I believe that was because of political correctness.

Political correctness, in a nutshell, means avoiding language and actions that insult, exclude or harm people who are already experiencing disadvantage and discrimination.

It's all too easy to say "PC has gone mad" or wax lyrical about it denying other people the right to free speech. But I do believe there is a place for it and it should have stopped the actor in his tracks.

Perhaps it's been eroded to such an extent that people feel they can now say what they want regardless of whom it offends.

To be clear, I'm not saying Liam Neeson is racist but I do believe in that moment he was racist.

He's attempted to explain himself. For some that's good enough, for others it's not.

Perhaps if he'd had an understanding of the importance of political correctness, he wouldn't have offended so many people and I would have gone to see his film.